JOHN MITCHELL, guitarist, singer-songwriter and producer known for his work with It Bites, Frost*, Arena and Asia, has released the new single “The River,” from his forthcoming Lonely Robot album, An Ending. An Ending will be released on September 11th, 2026, via White Knight Records, on CD and limited-edition coloured double vinyl, and is available to pre-order now: www.lonelyrobot.co.uk
The River is one of two tracks on An Ending written by Mitchell and Jez Fielder, a longtime friend and live collaborator who also plays guitar on the track. The pair regularly perform together at Songs & Stories concerts, intimate shows centred around Mitchell’s music and the stories behind it.
The River, which also features Mitchell’s longstanding musical collaborator, Craig Blundell, is released today and is accompanied by a lyric video which can be viewed here:
The song uses a river to explore the changing nature of a relationship. Its course shifts over time, just as feelings between two people can change. The river keeps moving.
The collaboration also has a more personal story behind it. Both Mitchell and Fielder are adopted, and that shared experience found its way into the song. Memory, identity, loss and a sense of belonging are central themes within the lyrics.
Check out our interview with John Mitchell here.
Mitchell comments, “The River represents the first time within the Lonely Robot universe that I have embarked upon a writing collaboration with someone, which in turn somewhat ironically renders the process a little less lonely. Writing and recording The River with Jez proved to be a most fruitful partnership centred around themes of memories and loss born of our shared life experience as a pair of adopted kids.”
Fielder adds, “I was extremely flattered when John asked me to collaborate with him, and The River was one of the first songs we wrote together. The way it tends to work is we discuss concepts, I hand him a bunch of lyrics, suggest a top line, then he tells me to go away while he does his thing. I come back a couple of hours later, and he’s created an entire soundscape. Remarkable.”
John Mitchell – Vocals, guitars, bass guitar, keyboards.
Craig Blundell (Frost*, Steve Hackett, Steven Wilson) – Drums
Jez Fielder – Additional Guitar on The River and Rearview
Track List
This World Window
Show The Way
Back To The Middle
In Ocean Light
Ad Astra
Where In The World
Twin Suns
The River
Rearview
Bending Light
The Iron Sea
Oblique
Synthetic (Bonus track – vinyl only)
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